Hindsight
by Devi Siddhi
Summary: A tiny accident will put Sakura's name near the top of the ninja-world's most wanted list.   Now she's caught between an Uchiha and a hard place.  Who knew mixing chemicals could be so disastrous?  Non-Massacre/AU.  Ita/Saku
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** This is a fan-based adventure... I disclaim all rights for the characters of Naruto. Masashi Kishimoto is a genius and full recognition is to be paid to him.

**Author's Note**: This is a Non-Massacre AU (Alternate Universe). Chapter 1 & 2 will be rated T, after that it's all M. If you are under the age of 18 and do not have parental permission to be reading mature pieces please refrain from doing so and search for other fanworks. You have been warned!

******Thank you to my reviewer who pointed out I had a few mistakes. It allowed me to go back and find those little nuisances in this chapter and correct them.

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Chapter One: The Set-Up

* * *

oOo

_The dark shinobi turned to the distraught young kunoichi, wind sweeping his black locks in front of his penetrating gaze. They were standing mere feet from their ruined village, surrounded by the carnage that had taken place just hours ago but neither could avert their eyes from one another. _

"_I have never forgotten about you," the curvaceous woman whispered. "I always knew you would return to us some day."_

_The hardened avenger shot a rigid, unreadable look at the girl standing before him. "You were a fool to wait."_

"_I can't change who I am," she shot back, her pride disallowing her to be mocked, but her eyes still filled with tears as she took in the handsome, damaged façade of the man ahead of her and she sank to her knees as the strength within her limbs finally gave out. "I have never stopped caring about you," she confessed._

_She received no reply but he did not move either. She'd known this boy since her youth, his habits, his faults. He might be dark and twisted inside, but he was listening._

_Hope dusted a rose-colored blush over her high cheek bones. "You are free now. You've brought down the man that destroyed your clan, avenged your brother…" The kunoichi balled her fists near the ground to keep them from reaching out to him. "Will you stay this time?" _

_She turned her watery eyes up at the man that had helped save their village at the last crucial moment. "Will you stay… with me?"_

_A shadow fell over the kunoichi as the young man finally approached her kneeling form. His chest was bare, his body cut and burned in multiple places, his pants torn to ribbons and the sword at his side held on only by a string. He would have many scars from this day and she could help heal all those easily… but more importantly she wanted his trust - to help him heal his biggest wound... The wound on his heart. _

"_You don't understand what you're asking," his replied heavily, his voice so much deeper and more solemn than she'd ever remembered. The years had taken their toll on him though he remained attractive in her eyes._

"_I do," she swore, her heart beating faster. She prayed to any god willing to listen – to keep him here, to give her a chance – to let him stay. _

_She watched him reach forward with the only hand he could still use and she let him cup her cheek with the ravaged appendage. He was silent for a moment before dragging her upwards, urging her petite form closer to his muscular body._

"_I've attempted to destroy your village, kill the people you love … make you nothing but a memory," his hand tightened its hold, threatening but also soft around her neck. _

_She should have felt in mortal danger to be this close to someone so capable of malevolence but she couldn't lie to her heart. "You ended up saving this village, sparing my friends and you're here now – with me," she tried again, reaching up to hold his broad shoulders closer. She felt a tender scoff leave his lips as it brushed ear and she just knew what he was thinking. That she was infuriating and always had been. _

_His arm slipped down her back and he leaned the weight of his body close against her. "Will you take all of me then?" His tone held a mysterious sultry promise. _

_Twin lines of tears leaked out of from the corner of her eyes and she knew she'd won. "Give me everything you've got, my love," she whispered back. _

_The End_

...

...

"What a load of shit," Sakura murmured, popping a potato-chip into her mouth and chewing loudly.

With her free hand she flipped Jiraiya's latest book closed and let out a small 'hmph', letting her toes wiggle on the desk top she was theoretically supposed to be using as a workbench. It made a nice leg rest.

Leaning back into her chair she jiggled the now empty foil bag and watched the ceiling lights flicker above.

"I would have stopped that little emo before he had the chance to leave the village," she mused sardonically, half tossing the novel onto a free space on the desk and swinging her legs down so her feet could seek out the high-heels she'd carelessly kicked off an hour or so ago.

She liked Jiraiya's work. Hell, most of the Nin in Konoha enjoyed Jiraiya's work. But sometimes he could be a little over dramatic for her tastes.

Brushing potato crumbs off of her white lab coat she stretched her hands to the ceiling and let out a bored grunt. Reading was one of the many ways she passed her time down here in the Konoha's underground labs.

The Toxin Unit, a small, modest, unknown group of ninja who analyzed and brewed chemicals for the village's more active shinobi. Sakura could claim she was a part of this crowd, though, as she looked around at the empty room she could admit it wasn't really a crowd. Save for herself and the lab equipment that dotted the room she was the only one here.

She puffed out a breath and reached for the stack of messy documents on top of the desk sent from the Hospital above.

Analyze,

Analyze,

Re-fill,

Re-make…

She'd gotten this position because five years ago there had been an attack on the Sandaime during Konoha's hosting of the Chuunin Exams. If it hadn't been for the quick actions of Konoha's elite shinobi and the Uchiha Police Force – the attack might have succeeded and she might be living a completely different lifestyle right now, however, the Sandaime had lived after the attempted assault and an order to re-call the Slug-Princess Tsunade had been issued so the Third could retire.

Her first memory of the big-busted blonde was from standing atop Konoha's walls near the gates while an impressive contingent of elite ANBU guard escorted the regal kunoichi and her entourage into the village. Like everyone else she had been completely enamored with the strength and grace this woman represented. One of the Legendary Sannin, beautiful, powerful, respected, everything Sakura could ever hope to be.

Someone should have just shot her in the foot that day – to make it easier on her.

Once the woman had taken up the mantle of leadership she demanded a lot, and suddenly what Sakura wanted seemed unreachable. Her team mates went on to become chuunin without her the year following and her genin-instructor was re-listed into ANBU without leaving a replacement sensei for her.

It had been trifling but she'd had dreamy visions of the future and applied herself to the arts of medical ninjitsu, hoping to catch-up with her separated team and impress the Hokage enough to petition for an apprenticeship.

She'd been turned down.

. . .

Five times. . .

Sakura scowled at the memory, letting a frown line mar the space between her pink brows.

She knew she wasn't powerful but she was smart god-damnit, and resourceful! And she would have been great if given the chance.

It had been after the second rejection that the Hokage's first apprentice Shizune – a quiet, kind woman with a tendency to over worry about things – stepped in and asked Sakura to join her Toxin Unit.

She was grateful for Shizune's kindness. With her, she was never belittled for not being strong enough or fast enough, just encouraged to learn more and make-do with her skills. Sakura had absorbed everything the dark haired woman was willing to teach her. But sometimes it just wasn't enough.

Now five years later she was a faceless chuunin who worked for Konoha down in a basement.

She was still in contact with a few of her academy peers but rarely saw her genin-team. Sasuke had always been too busy training to become his clan's next Police Force Captain to ever bother with her affectionate visits and Naruto had left immediately after the Chuunin Exams with Jiraiya on a top-secret mission that brought him back three years later. He was now one of the most active shinobi on the mission rosters and she rarely saw him.

By word of mouth she'd heard those two had graduated to jounin status recently. She tried to hold back an eye-roll but it got away from her anyway.

_Good for them_.

She meandered over to a burner slowly fermenting a foul smelling substance in steel pot and crossed off something on a document. It seemed like Naruto and Sasuke were living their dreams and she – she watched a bubble slowly rise and belch out a pocket of air – she had god-awful smelling poison and enough free time to watch mold grow. Making a face at the lethal brew she fetched an empty vial from nearby and spooned some of the goop inside – the brown liquid gurgled at her from its small confines.

Senbon poison, she corked the stuff and pocketed the vial; it was Shizune-senpai's favorite and a high request item for her division.

Speaking of Shizune, she might have returned by now. Switching off the burner she grabbed a set of keys off of her desk and headed to the only door that led to and from this floor. One neat thing about her job was the high security clearance that came with it. No one but the Hokage, Shizune, and herself had keys to this place and the door was always locked. It could be a jail or sanctuary depending on the day.

She found Shizune on the third floor giving a run down to the nurse on duty. "No fatal damages, minor abrasions healed on-route..." she overheard the voice of her mentor articulate.

Sakura stopped a few feet away, leaning against the wall. Shizune was always polite with people, even during her more wigged out moments.

The pair parted and Shizune caught sight of her. "Sakura," the black haired woman called out with a smile.

"Senpai," Sakura nodded back at the older woman. "How'd the mission go?" Try as she might, Sakura couldn't quite hide the excitement laced into the question.

Shizune gave her a soft-eyed upside down smile and started removing the jounin vest and the medic gear she had yet to unpack.

"It just ended this morning."

Sakura felt a little chastised for asking but it had been _years_ since she'd been out in the field and thinking about her genin-days made her a bit nostalgic today.

"I know better than to ask for details. Though," she pulled the small item out of her lab coat, "I did come up here with a purpose." Sakura tossed the vial to the other woman.

Shizune's eyes went wide before her shinobi reflexes kicked-in and quickly caught the airborne item. She gave Sakura a disapproving frown before looking down at the tube in her hand, rolling it in her palm. "It's still warm," she hummed offhandedly.

Sakura smirked a bit. "Fresh this morning," she crossing her arms over her torso and cocked a foot to one side.

Shizune's eyes took on a humored cast. "Well done, I'll have to remember to teach you a harder recipe next time I get a free moment."

_Which Shizune rarely had these days._ Sakura moved a couple feet to stand next to one of the hallway windows. A vision of Naruto, Sasuke, and a younger version of herself skipping merrily out of the hospital towards village market across the street crossed her mind's eye. She exhaled slowly. Yeah, definitely nostalgic today.

"Sakura."

Her eyes never left the sunny view but she cocked her head towards her some-times mentor to let her know she was listening.

"Why don't you try working up here," Shizune tried, "It would get you out of that windowless lab and maybe Tsunade-sama…"

"No thanks Shizune-senpai," Sakura interrupted gently. "If I couldn't be down in the labs I'd want to be out there in the trenches." She meant it as a light joke but the truth of the matter was she was still smarting from the Hokage's last rejection – which was approximately 2 weeks ago – and she didn't feel like facing that reality just yet.

Shizune squeezed the young woman's slim shoulders before letting her hand drop and heading for the door, "Keep trying Sakura. One day it'll happen."

Sakura turned and scrunched her nose. "Yeah, like when I'm really old or ready to retire."

Shizune laughed on her way out. "There are other option's out there. You can do anything you set your mind to, Sakura," she called.

Sakura let the wrinkle on the bridge of her nose soften out and she smiled at the empty doorway. That was Shizune for you, she never pushed an issue enough to make you uncomfortable. It's no wonder she was such a highly sought after medic, and entirely off the market for anyone who thought to try. Shizune was currently being courted by a one Uchiha Shisui. He was nice enough guy, especially for an Uchiha, though entirely encourageable and an incurable flirt. He was also completely head over heels for the woman.

She navigated the floors and hallways until she stood at the lobby's front desk. The lobby was moderately busy and she could hear the late afternoon summer cicadas chirping outside over the noises of the nurses, random civilians, and shinobi coming in and out of the glass doors. She was about to sign out when a heavy weight plowed into her upper body.

"Sa-ku-ra!" The familiar voice sing-songed in a totally inappropriate volume for a hospital.

She pushed the long blonde hair obscuring the sign-out sheet out of the way and detangled the slender, mostly bare, arms from her shoulders, her cheek muscles ticking rapidly.

"Ino."

"Mou," the beautiful blonde pouted just as loudly, "Here I came all this way to see you down in that dark hole of yours and," she pressed her nose into the jumping cheek on Sakura's face, "Isn't it too early to be on PMS?"

This time Sakura's eyebrow twitched along with her cheek. People around them were giving them odd looks and she just knew the she-demon had done that on purpose. "Pig, outside," she ground out.

Her heels clacked heavily on the tiled floor as she half-dragged her best friend and one-time rival towards the lobby doors.

Ino, bless her pig-headed heart, had followed her on her journey in medic training but had ended up on the field due to her family's influence and her blood-line trait. They trained together and generally kept in touch whenever Ino wasn't mission bound.

"I don't know how many times, you-," Sakura cut short her rant and took a deep breath of the slightly humid air, stopping once they reached the outer brick wall. "What is it, Pig?"

Ino puffed her cheeks at the pink haired girl, unknowingly giving Sakura the exact pig-like image she was named for, but held back the retort and switched gears. "I've got good news," the hyper teen chirped.

_Uh-oh_. When Ino ignored insults in-lieu of gossip it meant it was about her. Sakura's arms crossed over her lower chest defensively.

"Naruto's team is back…."

She deflated a little. "Oh, well if that's all–"

Ino shook her head fervently, "Oh no, you listen to this," she berated with a foot stomp to accentuate the order, "Naruto's team is back AND he's a jounin now."

Sakura lifted an eyebrow and tapped a finger against her bicep in an expression that clearly said, "_And?"._

Ino rolled her eyes and started bouncing on the balls of her nin-sandals, making her lengthy pony-tail swing back and forth and her tiny purple outfit fill out to proportions that seemed indecent. "Sakura where have you been!" She rushed the surprised girl and started shoving her towards to village. "Both of your boys are jounin now!"

"They are _not_ my boys." Sakura snapped.

Ino 'tsked' and marched Sakura through the crowded streets to a relatively empty food and beverage stand that provided shade from the bright sun. "Just put this one through your thick forehead for a moment."

Sakura glared at the blonde.

Ino quickly waved away an eager server boy and turned back to Sakura excitedly, "Jounin means privileges!"

Somewhere in the last five years she'd forgotten how to speak Ino. "Not following."

Ino gave her a flat look and leveled a finger in her direction. "I worry about you Forehead, I really do."

After this morning's trip down memory lane Sakura's fuse was wearing kinda thin and she let it show on her face.

"Okay okay," Ino relented, "I'll spell it out for you. Jounin Headquarter… after-hours… Lounge…"

Sakura guessed that Ino was very proud of herself at this moment. "What about it, Ino?"

"Duh!" she said excitedly, "We've always wanted to go!"

Pink brows lowered over bright green eyes and Sakura leveled a finger back in Ino's direction. "_You've_ always wanted to go," she corrected. She could start to see where Ino was taking this.

"Saaa...ku-ra," Ino whined in a very undignified manner befitting a 17 year old.

The girl in question started tapping her toe against the ground. "Let me get this straight," Sakura's low ponytail fell over one shoulder as she leaned forward, "You want _me_ to ask Naruto – who I barely see or talk to these days – to invite _you_ to the Jounin Lounge… which, by the way, is a _highly_ exclusive night life place who _only_ serve jounin status or higher and/or by invite thereof."

"Us, I want him to invite _us_," Ino corrected her.

"Why haven't you talked with Naruto yourself?"

"He tends to escape every time I'm around," she pouted.

"And you haven't said anything about Sasuke because…"

Ino's look turned a bit peevish. "He's a cold fish."

Sakura leered at her old rival. "You mean you already asked him and he turned you down."

It was Ino's turn to glower and twitch in funny places on her face.

Sakura's mood lightened a bit. Ino's discomfort was always a good subject.

"Oh come _on!_" Ino finally broke, pleading. "Do this for me?"

A corner of her mouth turned down and she worried the inside of her cheek with her teeth. "I don't know Ino." Going to this hoity-toity, selective joint was definitely stretching it for her – especially under the guise of asking Naruto out. She could still talk politely with Naruto now and again but this situation had 'uncomfortable' written all over it.

Ino's baby blues grew large and Sakura was pretty sure she was saying _please, please, please_ in the little sip-motions her bottom lip was making.

"What about Shikamaru, Neji, Lee, any of the other jounin I'm sure would be _happy_ to take you?"

Ino sent a disgusted look in Sakura's direction. "I'm not sure if I should answer that smart aleck remark because I'd think you'd already know."

Sakura pushed her bangs out of her face and smoothed the non-existent wrinkles out of her skirt and blouse.

"Sakura if it's you and me think of the opportunities, the possibilities," Ino said with a dreamy, almost pervy, laugh.

Sakura cocked an eyebrow at that and noticed the tiny speck of drool starting to gather at the corner of her friend's mouth. _Damn. _This was about chasing a guy. This meant Ino would bother her for _weeks_ if she refused her.

Ino blinked out of her fantasy and pulled her most winning puppy-eyed expression, "One favor, just one teensy little ol'favor and I promise to never yell in your hospital again, or steal anymore of your shoes, or put nail polish messages on your mirror-"

"Fine. Wait what!" Sakura was about to ask what in the hell Ino meant by that when the teen sped past her, taking her along for the ride.

"All we have to do is get you out of these lab-smocks and put you in the right place," she said breathlessly, zipping in and out of dirt roads and narrowly missing civilians at breakneck speed with the pinkette in tow.

Sakura tried to disengage Ino's hand from her person. "What's wrong with my lab coat and stop already! Where are you-?"

"Ah-ha!" Ino put on the brakes and Sakura was forced to slide to a stop. When she caught her breath she reached over and punched Ino in the shoulder.

"Ow!"

"That's for the nail polish on the mirror," Sakura said looking around. They were in front of Ichiraku's Ramen Stand but no one was there.

Ino's sputtering ended with a shrewd look around the shop. "He'll be here eventually," she muttered petulantly, rubbing at her shoulder, "It's the most predictable place to look when he's in town."

That was something that hadn't changed since they were genin apparently. Sakura felt on guard in places like this. If it wasn't for Ino she would have probably avoided it all together. She had the sensation of being watched and her arms came up reflexively when she caught Ino eyeballing her up and down.

"Not that this is a competition or anything but I'm so gonna win this." Ino raised waggling fingers and gave Sakura a nano-second warning before wrenching off clothing items and rearranging folds in the other chuunin's outfit.

"Whew…," she wiped a strand of her blond hair behind her ear, "There, now you look hot."

Sakura felt manhandled. "You're right, this isn't a competition," she said, yanking her white coat out of her friend's arms. "And if it was you'd still lose."

Ino wasn't listening, she was nodding to herself approvingly. "Now about that hair…"

"Pig, leave the hair alone," Sakura snarled, one hand moving protectively over her glossy tresses.

Ino backed off with a skip to her step. "When we go out Ms. Lab-Rat, you have to let me dress you… but for right now, you are the perfect Naruto bait."

Sakura shook her head sharply. She was unable to define all the feelings that came with being called _bait_ but sucked it in and moved towards the ramen stand anyway. "You'll be returning _all_ of my shoes after this," she threatened. No wonder Shikamaru headed for the hills whenever Ino started brewing plans.

Ino refrained from making a statement, predictably, and followed behind until the two procured seats at the booth.

"I'm only here until dinner rush, then I'm outta here." The sun was already starting to decline, leaving a lingering summer heat with a cool breeze tickling the uncovered skin of her legs. Damn she felt naked without her coat.

The gleam in Ino's eyes told her all she needed to know. Sakura was stuck until they found Naruto tonight and procured a guaranteed entry to that lounge. She had to admit, … when the blonde wanted something bad enough, she was rabid.

She was twiddling with the menu and about to ask Ino the intricate details of her plan to fill the empty awkward atmosphere when a voice stopped her mid-thought.

"S-Sakura-chan?"

Her head felt just the tiniest bit uncoordinated and chalky at the almost baritone behind her.

"Naruto!" Ino exclaimed with false shock, clapping her hands together animatedly, "What a pleasant surprise."

Sakura smiled tentatively and squinted at the large man-shaped shadow the sun cast behind them. "…Hi Naruto-kun." She swallowed a lump in her throat, "It's been awhile, ne?"

The mass of golden-blonde hair was the first thing that came in to focus. Next was the grin that stretched from ear to ear that she remembered so well... except this time it belonged to a face much more leaner and chiseled. _A lot has changed since we were young_, she guessed.

"Wow Sakura-chan, it has been a while. You look great!" he whistled appreciatively.

Ino's grin couldn't have been any eviler.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Back from the great beyond. I am _very_ rusty and haven't written a piece in YEARS. Installments will come fairly regularly and will be rated M pretty quickly from here on out. Review if you love it. Cheers!


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** This is a fan-based adventure... I disclaim all rights for the characters of Naruto. Masashi Kishimoto is a genius and full recognition is to be paid to him.

**Author's Note**: This is a Non-Massacre AU (Alternate Universe).

****** My chapter one reviews were lovely – I went 'squeee' whenever I got a new one. And thank you to my reviewer who pointed out I had a few mistakes in the last chapter (and this one). It allowed me to go back and correct them. For all you Itachi fans, he gets to make his appearance this chapter!

* * *

Chapter Two: The Vengeful Mistake

* * *

oOo

Ino had tried - and failed - to auction her off like a piece of meat to the unfortunate male shinobi during the trio's brief interlude. Out of necessity she had politely socked her friend in the stomach to cut off her misguided air supply.

Naruto, bless him, had laughed at whole thing simply saying Sakura hadn't changed one bit… while nervously scratching at the back of his head. He insisted they get together for a team reunion of sorts tomorrow night. At this point Ino had recovered from her dramatic suffering quickly enough to say she knew the 'perfect' location.

The conversation lasted only minutes but they parted on a good note, and Sakura realized only later that she'd been holding her breath. She had to admit, she'd been prepared to walk-away if things got too uneasy. _Relieving. _Yes it was almost relieving to see one of her old genin team mate's familiar faces and talk openly again.

In revenge for her rough treatment Ino had seen fit to visit her in the labs for the duration of her shift the next day. By mid-afternoon her head felt like it was going to implode on information about this 'mysteriously elite dark-haired ninja' and all the x-rated arrangements Ino was planning on putting him through once she got her claws in him. _Too much,_ her inner-self silently cried.

"Don't you have somewhere to be, pig?" she massaged her temples through the thick rubber gloves protecting her hands.

Ino was busy twirling a small beaker of bright pink liquid. "No, not really."

_That's it. _"Put that down before you hurt yourself." She wasn't going to get any work done like this. Sakura grit her teeth and set down the explosive compound she'd been working on, removing her chemist's gear.

Ino, who'd been laying down on an empty workbench, did a graceful twist to her feet and jiggled the vial more forcefully, "What is it?"

Sakura eyes followed the liquid until it settled, then leveled a sideways glare at Ino. "A project I've been working on," she replied vaguely.

Ino's eyebrows shot up and she inspected the rose colored compound more thoroughly. "A secret assignment?"

Sakura marched over to where the blonde was playing with the neon mixture and plucked it out of her curious fingers. "No."

Ino fisted her hands on her hips and pouted. "I was just curious, jeez."

Sakura grunted, slipping the palm-sized vial into the safety of her skirt pocket. Actually when she'd seen Ino messing with the vial she'd almost had a heart-attack.

Ino was tapping her foot. "You gonna spill what it does?"

Sakura chewed on bottom lip, making herself busy by cleaning up while she thought about it. Technically she didn't have the approval for this yet but – what could it hurt?

"It's a truth serum," she finally admitted.

Ino went from curious to incredulous. "Konoha has plenty of those already."

Sakura shook her head, grabbing the lab's set of keys while shooing her friend towards the exit.

"All existing truth-serums need time to work through the blood stream before taking affect." Subconsciously, she slipped into textbook mode, "The subject needs to be apprehended and remain stationary in order to obtain any results from the initial application and the subject is left in a drowsy, drug-like state that is difficult to deal with for questioning."

"Mine works by vaporizing into the blood stream instantly." She smiled secretly, her eyes taking on an excited gleam. "The solution is stable in its liquid form as long as it doesn't come in to contact with an iron compound. As far as I can tell no other serum comes close - the subject wouldn't even know they were under the influence unless told."

Ino's look turned sly. "You do know I'm borrowing that right? I have all kinds of fun ideas for something that ingenious."

Sakura rolled her eyes. _Ino would._

She was very proud of her creation. She'd been developing and tweaking the formula since her third year as a Toxin-nin. It was her trump card, her last ditch effort to impress the Hokage to prove she was worthy of an apprenticeship. The latest batch was waiting for Shizune's approval before testing – though with her last and most recent request being so unsuccessful with the Godaime– she was rather nervous about revealing it so soon.

"So why pink? It's a bit flamboyant," the blonde continued.

The girls had made their way outside and Sakura had to purposely keep her eyes forward on the village so Ino couldn't see her expression.

"I want my name to be known for something."

oOo

The deep sounds of nonsensical chatter and the clinking of drinks echoed off of the low-lit wooden tables and walls. Most occupants were jounin, though Sakura noticed a few ANBU groups and a couple chuunin faces she recognized here and there.

She felt underpowered and underdressed.

"This is awkward."

"Shut up Sakura, and stop fidgeting with your outfit," Ino sniffed.

Before coming here the blonde field medic had put on a black little number that greatly resembled her revealing purple attire – with a lot of cleavage – while she had merely deigned to wear the outfit she had put on that morning, much to Ino's irritation.

Sakura quit playing with the zipper of her sleeveless red vest and smoothed her sweaty palms over her medic's skirt. Naruto had met them there just after night-fall, he was currently securing their entrance and gathering their first rounds for the night.

She cleared her throat. "So, how do you know your mystery guy is here – and what was his name again, I don't recall if you've mentioned it?"

Ino was avidly looking around. She was literally vibrating with excitement in the male-ridden environment. "Dunno. A friend of a friend told me he comes here often."

Sakura didn't buy it. "You've been stalking him and don't even know his name?" she questioned evenly.

Ino huffed, puffing-out one cheek until her eyes caught on someone and Sakura had to wonder if she should be administering a sedative because Ino's body language was barely holding herself in place.

"Look, look, look, there he is!" she squealed.

Sakura's eyes followed Ino's pointing finger until they landed on an off-duty ANBU whose pale complexion would make geisha weep.

His silky black hair lay flat against his skull and his effeminate, patrician features reminded her of someone…

"He's a carbon copy of Sasuke."

Ino reeled, "What? They don't look anything alike!"

…

"Okay they look alike, but so what! He's dreamy." Ino was staring at him in the way a wolf watches small fuzzy animals. The poor guy.

Sakura looked the male over again. "Are you sure he bats for the right side?"

A large body stepped between them. "I hope you're talking about the teme 'cause I ask him that all the time," Naruto laughed, hands full with two trays.

Sakura pointed towards the young man sitting in the corner with what seemed to be a large sketching pad. "Ino's stalking the young ANBU at the far table, next to …."

"Sai?"

Sakura shook her head in a 'who-knows' manner. "Is that his name?"

"Dark haired guy, looks like teme… yeah, that's Sai."

Ino sighed, melting on the spot like butter.

Naruto's face said he thought Yamanaka was crazy and Sakura patted him on his thick green vest in agreement. Thank kami she put that kind of behavior aside years ago when her feelings for Sasuke fizzled out.

At the feeling of her hand on his shoulder Naruto looked down, capturing her bright eyes in an open stare. "Sakura-chan, I'm glad you showed up, I've - always wondered what you were up to," he acknowledged sincerely.

At the straight forward statement Sakura haltingly brought her hand back to her person, tucking some of her lengthy hair behind her ears. Naruto always had a way with being direct, diving head first into uncomfortable situations and leaving people befuddled.

"Ahem."

The old team mates glanced at Ino, who was currently making not-so-inconspicuous head motions in Sai's direction.

Naruto smirked cheekily at Ino, then turned back to Sakura, "I let Sasuke know we were here tonight but you know the bastard. I don't think his clan will let him off his leash unless he has a mission."

Sakura's lips quirked in a smile. "It doesn't sound like he's having a lot of fun these days does it?"

Naruto scoffed, "Tch, he's so high strung most of the time it's like talking to a woman… no offense."

Sakura had to cover her face to prevent the loud snort threatening to leave her nose.

And just like that the ice was broken and Sakura's nerves warmed. _Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all._

"Come on," the tall jounin took off towards the back of the spacious room, "I'll introduce you to Sai."

oOo

"I'm going to marry her," the curly haired ANBU suddenly declared, his hand slapping the wooden table to accentuate his point.

The person sitting across from the noisy shinobi raised a sleek black eyebrow in response.

Uchiha Shisui waggled his own brows back at his companion and tossed back another shot, smacking his lips.

The man didn't budge.

"Aw c'mon say something," the tipsy ANBU giggled, "I just told you I'm gonna be married!"

Silence. "Aa."

Shisui's lips twitched, trying to hold their happy state. "That's it? Aa?"

Itachi slanted a look at his older cousin. "She hasn't said yes yet."

Shisui's head landed on his forearm on the table, his charcoal colored eyes shooting kunai at the infuriatingly calm expression of his kin. "You're a party-pooper you know that," he mumbled into his arm, and a string of muffled insults followed.

Similarly colored eyes met the exasperated glare of the other man head on. With deliberate calm, Itachi removed the remaining alcohol out of Shisui's reach, "Hn."

Shisui's mouth immediately pulled downward, "Now you're stealing my booze! I'm not drunk." His head shot up and he looked around the room, "You know what- Hunters can take you - I saw Sai-chan hide himself somewhere in here earlier. I'm going to find _him _and tell him I'm getting married."

As the slightly inebriated Uchiha clumsily got to his feet he caught site of his young ANBU team mate in the midst of a four-way conversation with a highly recognizable blonde jounin and two other beautiful young ladies… one of which looked vaguely familiar.

He grinned broadly, thumping Itachi's shoulder with a fist. "You can go home, Mister Party Pooper, you've been replaced." He whisked the cup of alcohol out of his stoic relative's hands and deftly wove in and out of the people and tables towards his new target in a manner only an ANBU could accomplish while under the influence.

Itachi watched his cousin's antics with a frown. This was his second hour within this establishment and it was past time they depart.

Shisui had dragged him here after submitting their mission report, saying that he had something to tell him and that he wasn't ready to return to the compound yet.

That the news ended up being Shisui wanted to marry his current lover wasn't so much of a surprise, it was that it took him two hours of inane babbling to finally bring it up.

The elders would frown upon Shisui's chosen bride. Itachi let out a short breath. It would probably be left to him to appease the council in this matter; which would explain Shisui's deplorable delaying tactic tonight. Shisui was asking him for help without really asking for it.

He felt a knot building between his brows. Lately, expectations and stipulations were rising within the clan. All Uchiha still in active duty were abiding by stronger demands from the elders, an occurrence that happened after the Godaime had been brought to power. Shisui and the others felt the weight bearing down on them like an extra canon tied to ones leg. He was no exception.

For this reason it was normal to find Shisui abstaining from the activities in the Uchiha complex. He usually slacked off in his duties by attending to their ANBU missions and avoided returning altogether. It wouldn't be the first time he had to apprehend his relative and haul him back to his mother.

Itachi pushed up from the table and slowly rose to his feet, his jaw twitching almost imperceptibly when he saw the curly haired menace entwining himself around a pink haired chuunin. Juvenile. It was embarrassing to say he was the younger of the two. He agilely moved through the throngs of people after his wayward relative. It was time he took Shisui home.

oOo

Em-ba-rr-a-ss-ing. Sakura felt like slapping a hand over her eyes to avoid the train wreck taking place across the table. Above her head Naruto was sympathizing with her via eye contact.

Ino was trying to win over Sai's undivided attentions through innuendos that were obviously going over the boy's head. The man didn't say much, but then again most shinobi males were men of few words.

When he did decide to say something it came out static and blunt. He had already pissed Sakura off enough to know talking with him was not a pleasant thing. She took a long swig from her cup. Her forehead was _not_ ugly.

She had blushed when Ino's very revealing cleavage pressed deeply into Sai's shoulder. The dense shinobi actually looked down and asked, "Is there something wrong with your chest?"

Naruto cleared his throat, the tops of his ears turning pink. "Maa – so Sakura and I have been talking mostly about our past this whole time. Sai why don't you tell the girls what type of ninjustu you use," he tried for his famous trademark grin, "it's kinda interesting."

Sai blinked. "I use art." The statement was plain, like his voice, which was a soft tenor.

Ino leaned up and blew in Sai's nearest available ear, "Art ninjustu, how romantic."

Sai tilted his head towards the woman hanging on him and matter-of-factly replied, "They are resourceful."

Sakura had to wonder if the feminine looking man had a psychological disorder or was just very sheltered to not be affected by Ino's actions. Just what were they doing to ANBU these days?

"Ino, don't you think Sai's had enough?" Naruto's deep voice was strained, embarrassed for the guy. Sai was a capable ANBU, though he was pretty clueless about women and Naruto had tried several times already to preserve the other male's honor from Ino's clutches.

Ino's look became indignant and she leaned across the table. "Naruto if you try to cock-block me one more time I'm going to mind-body switch your sorry butt and put you in another man's bed tonight," she hissed softly.

Sakura blanched. So did Naruto though he gave an uneasy chuckle to try and laugh it off.

"It was just a joke, Ino. Calm down," the blonde jounin leaned back in to his chair nervously and his head bumped into something. "Ah-" He tilted his head back.

"You..."

"Me!"

Shisui grabbed Naruto by the shoulders and squeezed roughly. "How's my little Sasuke-chan's team-mate doing?"

Naruto's expression turned annoyed and the group turned to look at new-comer.

_Sasuke-chan? _Sakura laughed.

"Shisui-sempai," Sai intoned placidly, finally setting aside his pen and paper - the very same thing Ino had unsuccessfully tried to tempt him away from for the last fifteen minutes.

"Shisui-san," Sakura gave her own greeting politely. Of course Sakura remembered Shisui. He normally 'poofed' in whenever Shizune was in the village mentoring her. He usually ended up frazzling her senpai's nerves with his blatant behavior then whisked the woman off to some unknown location. It was both oddly endearing and annoying for someone so strong to possess that much gusto, especially since his appearance would mean her training ended prematurely for that day.

Shisui's eyes, which were making little half-moons on his face as he messed with Naruto's outrageously spiky hair, popped open at her voice.

"Sakura-chan? Sakura-chan!"

Sakura squealed, her drink sloshing over its edges as the tall ANBU launched himself at her, snuggling the top of her head.

"S-Shisui-san?" she said uneasily. She was used to some of his overly friendly ways but this was a bit much.

"It's been so loooong since I've seen you," Shisui cooed, "how is my beautiful fiancée's apprentice doing?"

Sakura's eyebrows hit her hair line, "Fiancée?" When did Shizune get engaged?

A little color tinted Shisui tanned cheeks, "Well, I haven't exactly asked her yet, but I'm gonna – so don't tell!" His eyes were very serious, but his smile was wide and a bit wobbly.

Sakura guessed he had been drinking. She glanced in Ino's direction only to find Sai's black eyes assessing her. She flinched, averting her own eyes and taking the last sip out of her spilled drink. The guy was a little creepy.

"Is this girl the apprentice you were trying to set me up with, Shisui-senpai?"

The table went quiet.

"She's very plain."

Simultaneously, Sakura saw red and her cup shattered in her hand.

Shisui let the simmering little kunoichi go and shook a finger at his team mate, "Now now Sai-kun." He walked around the table and pinched the younger man's cheeks. "We don't talk about cute girls that way."

Naruto also came to her defense. "Sakura-chan is beautiful you girly-bastard! She used to be the prettiest girl I knew!"

Sai tilted his head to one side, looking at Naruto inquisitively. "And she's not now?"

"That's it!" Sakura growled, standing up so quickly she knocked her chair over.

Sai didn't move, but he didn't look concerned either. Ino had loosened her grip on the man's arm though she looked slightly at odds with what she wanted to do. Naruto's wide eyes warily watched the female chuunin's heaving shoulders.

She brushed flakes of dark porcelain off her hands, leveling a menacing look at Sai, "I'm getting another drink, and you!" Everyone leaned back a bit. "Are an asshole."

She stomped towards the bar, vaguely noticing another body narrowly missing hers as she passed by. She didn't even care.

By the time she got to the wooden-island structure on the other side of the room she was trying to breathe normally. _What a prick!_ Just who did that guy think he was anyway? She held up her hand for the bartender to give her another order, sitting on one of the stools to wait. When the drink came she realized she wasn't ready to go back yet. Even though all she wanted to do was sock the guy in the face or pick herself up and leave, she owed it to Naruto and Ino to stay.

She didn't have to like it though. If the artsy drag-queen thought he could get away with calling her names she would just….. Her hands fisted in her skirt and an odd shape made itself known in one of the pockets she was squeezing.

Curiously, she reached in and pulled out the glass tube, its hot-pink contents winking at her. Her eyes widened.

When did? She remembered taking it away from Ino and – oh, that's right. She played with the vial, staring at it.

The bartender interrupted her thoughts. "Was there something else I could get you miss?"

She blinked, looking up at the unassuming civilian server.

And then it hit her…

She gasped a little at the devious ploy beginning to unfold in her mind. But she couldn't! The formula still hadn't been tested; she had at least another week before Shizune could provide permission for a field test.

Her mind produced an image of a devil-like Sai spewing venom at her from that black pit he called a mouth and her eyes glittered dangerously.

She would.

"Can I place an order for the table in the back-corner please, the one with the two blondes and the dark haired gentlemen?"

The bartender looked curiously at her, and she was sure her face was making all kinds of strange expressions as she worked out her thoughts.

Technically she could call this her first field test…, and since it was made to be virtually detect-less Sai shouldn't sense anything out of the ordinary. She could drug him stupid, gain Ino's eternal gratitude, get away scot-free, and the bastard wouldn't even know.

When the bartender went away to complete the additional request, Sakura quickly uncapped the vial and poured a small splash of the odorless liquid into the cup already in front of her. The liquor turned a tiny, microscopic shade darker but it blended nicely with the cup's clay coloring.

When the man started to turn, making his way back, she stealthily closed-up the toxin and slipped the mischievous tube back into her pocket.

She offered the older man a sweet smile. "Can you deliver this one too please? I'd like to make sure the gentleman with the straight black hair get's this one from me." She held out the cup, making sure to hold her breath and blush at the appropriate moment.

"I see." He looked over the occupants at their table with a surprised expression, "Brave girl, but I don't see why not." He placed Sakura's cup on the tray and made his way towards the group.

Sakura couldn't turn around for a moment. Her expression was so _maniacal_ she just knew Sai would know something was up if he saw it.

A heartbeat or two passed and she picked up a napkin nearby, fiddling with it to keep her hands busy. Oh what the hell. What was the point of doing something bad if you didn't get to see the results?

She turned around and Sakura's smirk dropped, smacking the floor.

At her table was a new member. The dark haired ANBU's back was to her, his standard-issue skin tight uniform showing off more muscle than should be legal while the white band around his upper arm announced to all his captain status.

Shisui's mouth was moving rapidly while he hung on to Sai's free arm, making various sulking expressions at the tall shinobi. Her brain put the clues together rather quickly and she realized with a start that this man could be no other than Shisui's relative, Sasuke's older brother…

Uchiha Itachi.

She had only ever seen the Uchiha-heir from a distance and at this moment he obviously had cause to speak with Shisui, crossing his arms over his chest, causing Sakura to admire his unguarded assets and the man's mane of glossy dark hair.

Strait black hair…

Sakura's heart stuttered loudly in her chest.

She zeroed in on the old bartender, hoping to god he wouldn't confuse her description for Sai with Itachi… the man was standing for pete's sake, he looked ready to leave! She worried the napkin in her hands. It was too late to go over there and put a stop to this, she could get in _a lot_ of trouble if she got caught – and if she tore over there and grabbed the cup they would definitely know something was up.

She watched helplessly as the old man walked past Sai and placed the muted pink concoction in front of the ANBU looming over the table. _Oh hell._

The group's conversation paused and the bartender pointed in her direction. Five pairs of eyes turned to look at her and she waved mechanically, her face trying to spasm and smile at the same time. _Oh dear god no, this couldn't be happening!_

After a few awkward moments and a pleading look from Shisui, the tall figure uncrossed his arms and gracefully took a seat in a free chair.

Naruto was currently trying to wave her back over but all she could do was stare in horror as Itachi lifted his hand and the first sip went down the strong column of the ANBU captain's throat. Sakura gulped reflexively.

She had a really bad feeling about this.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Thanks all for your patience – there will be more to come in the future. Reviews make me smile and laugh so feel free to leave a word or two even if typing or spelling isn't your forte – you'll make my day. Cheers!


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** This is a fan-based adventure... I disclaim all rights for the characters of Naruto. Masashi Kishimoto is a genius and full recognition is to be paid to him.

**Author's Note**: This is a Non-Massacre AU (Alternate Universe).

****** I just about exploded with all my chapter two reviews. Absolute praise – you guys are seriously the best readers. Back to business... from here on out it's an 'M' story kiddies; strong language and adult situations will occur.

* * *

Chapter Three: Take It Like A Man

* * *

oOo

She had just unintentionally fed toxin to Uchiha Itachi. _Son of a flying bitch!_

The pinkette took a deep fortifying breath through her nose as she slunk off the stool. If being a ninja had taught her one thing it was that you never got to ask for a replay. It was best to get bad stuff over with quickly and keep moving forward. Placing one halting foot in front of the other she arrived at the dreaded table near the back corner.

"What took you so long, forehead?" Ino had obviously chosen to abandon the obtuse Sai as her arms were behaving themselves on the table rather than around the ANBU artist's body.

Naruto had righted her chair from where she'd knocked it over and was currently holding out one of the drinks the bartender had just left. "Ne, Sakura-chan everything alright?"

"Hm, ahn–no problem." Her voice broke a little. "I hope you all don't mind I got the next round?"

Murmurs of thanks and gratitude told her they didn't and she stealthily took the opportunity to eyeball the dark haired bishounen next to her.

This was all clinical now. She would just have to remain composed and casually observe the Uchiha while the affects of her serum ran their course.

Always remain calm - that's what Shizune-senpai always said. Yes, stay calm… even when the test subject was heir to the most powerful clan in the Fire Country, probably the highest ranking S-class nin in all of Konoha, and most likely to be their next Hokage.

_Shit._

Her belly quivered uneasily.

Shisui noticed the toxin-nin's slight distress. Grabbing his youngest team mate's face, he hauled it against his own and gave the boy's cheek a hard pat. "Mou, Sakura-chan don't be upset with Sai-kun," he said teasingly, "he's a bit socially stunted but we love him." He then seized the teen's unguarded drink for himself and exaggeratedly whispered, "I'm constantly on him and Itachi to stop sucking the fun out of life."

Ino and Naruto snickered but Sakura found she could only manage a parody of a smile.

"It's nothing Shisui-san." Her fingernails bit into the cup in her hands. _Nothing, except I just tried to poison your team mate and got your cousin by accident. _

When the older Uchiha's attention was diverted she lowered her head in thought. She had to start a mental profile on the situation and collect the appropriate data for this to work.

What did she _know _about Uchiha Itachi? The only thing she had any firsthand knowledge of was through Sasuke when he divulged his precious aniki's information to them years ago as a genin. Sasuke had been enamored with the older male. Itachi disliked public scenes therefore Sasuke disliked public scenes. Itachi trained to become the most powerful ninja in leaf therefore Sasuke trained to become the most powerful in leaf.

It had been tough crushing on a boy who so obviously had an older brother complex - but more importantly, to quote Sasuke directly, 'Itachi is unnervingly proper… but frighteningly intelligent and ruthless'. For now that information alone would have to suffice.

She feigned interest in the other's dialogue while trying to detail anything off from Itachi's manners, swallowing thickly when her senses finally picked up on what her anxiety-ridden nerves disallowed her from feeling when she had first approached the table. The aura about the man was downright intimidating…

He must have sensed her scrutiny because his dark eyes cut in her direction and her breath caught somewhere in her throat.

He rose his cup at her in silent recognition, then nonchalantly turned away.

He was thanking her for the drink…? Sakura ran a nervous hand through her long bangs. She had all but cracked from that brief glance alone.

It had been just over two minutes. By now the serum would be in its gaseous state thanks to the iron in Itachi's blood. The microscopic bubbles would travel between his blood-cells and attach themselves to the nerve-endings.

He should start showing the symptoms at any moment now.

She peeked at him again out of the corner of her eye…. Uchiha Itachi, much like his younger brother, seemed both highly dangerous and unfairly attractive. She had to admit observing him might have her heart hammering for more than a couple reasons.

Ino kicked her beneath the table and she jumped, wincing. She shot an angry look at the smirking blonde making suggestive smoochie faces at her then nodding towards Itachi.

She'd been caught staring…_Ugh_, how was she going to survive this night?

oOo

Itachi shut out the pink-haired chuunin avidly gazing at him. Haruno Sakura, his vast memory told him, was the kunoichi's name. He remembered her as the young academy student who'd trailed longingly after his otouto prior to the Third's resignation. She was his brother's ex-team mate.

Hn, she probably thought she was being covert with her perusal of him. He took another sip of his drink, hearing the silly female's breathing quicken as he did.

Female attention was nothing new to him, though, he was thankful she was not the type to grope or touch like so many kunoichi had tried in the past.

He brushed off her unthreatening ogling and watched Shisui purposefully rile the Uzumaki boy. The loud combination of their voices made him regret his decision to allow Shisui his due for another hour. He had already come to the conclusion long ago that this comedian-like charade Shisui persisted on clinging to was the man's way of rebelling against the strictness of their clan. The only reason he abstained from correcting this behavior was because on the field the fool dropped his act and turned into the skillful tactician and fighter Itachi required him to be.

Abruptly, his thoughts were cut off as a prickling wave of heat settled near the region of his heart. He stilled. The irregularity was minuscule, barely discernible, but abnormal nonetheless. If the S-class nin hadn't been so in tune with his body throughout the years of extremely intense training he would have over-looked the occurrence as trivial. He zoned out the ruckus taking place across from him and systematically cataloged of the rest of his faculties.

His eyes were unnaturally fatigued and his blood was rushing a beat faster than normal. His sharingan flared to life and he took note of the momentary lapse in response.

This wasn't a jutsu. He had been drugged.

Ignoring the slight warmth creeping further into his muscles he coolly looked about the room, analyzing the shinobi and civilians milling about. At what point had he been poisoned? He leisurely lowered a hand to his thigh below the table, his fingers inconspicuously resting near his weapons pouch. It could be an inside-job, a traitor. Possibly a disguised civilian from an enemy village. He forced his beating heart to slow, minimizing the damage already done to his body.

"Itachi," Shisui's voice belted-out, oblivious to the situation, "you should tell them about the time you tried to strangle Orochimaru with your bare hands." The ANBU broke into a fit of giggles, his squinty eyes telling one and all he had gone from faintly intoxicated to thoroughly blitzed. "H-he was gonna murder the guy for stalking Sasuke-chan and this _thing_ came flying out of the snake-nin's mouth… We couldn't believe it. The damn snake shot himself out of his own mouth… right past Itachi's head!" At this point Shisui was thumping the wooden tabletop, laughing so hard at the memory he was taking in large pants of air. "It - it covered Itachi's face in buckets of slime, you guys should have seen it! The look on Tachi-kun's face-"

"Was disgusted beyond measure." Itachi finished offhandedly.

Shisui roared in laughter, completely missing the way his cousin's eyes widened in surprise.

"Th-that's right! Oh it was priceless." Shisui rambled on, waving his glass about, going into the finer details of the incident.

On the other side of the table Itachi's lean physique was tense, his throat barely holding back a snarl.

He had not allowed himself to say that…

oOo

The clock on the far wall ticked by another minute, and Sakura sighed, troubled. It had been four minutes since Itachi had ingested the serum and he hadn't shown one sign of its effects. His cup was nearly empty too.

Maybe the serum was a failure? Sakura wilted at the thought.

Shisui was currently weaving in his chair, his bare muscular arms weaving about as he regaled everyone with a story from their youth, which Sakura realized took place during Konoha's ill-fated Chuunin-exams. _If Shizune ever caught him like this she'd blow a gasket_.

"...you guys should have seen it. The look on Tachi-kun's face…"

"Was disgusted beyond measure."

Sakura jerked in surprise. Itachi's voice touched that smooth place between low-tones like a rough purr, but aside from that his response seemed... agitated.

Careful, so as not to cause any suspicion, she tilted her chin in the man's direction.

She gasped when she caught sight of his face. His normally dark eyes, so much like Sasuke's, were in their sharingan-state but nearly black. The pupils had expanded, overtaking the irises so all that remained were tiny slivers of crimson.

The toxin?

"Uchiha-san," the ANBU captain's eyes slid in her direction, he did not look happy. "You..." _How to say this?_ "How are you feeling?" She posed the questioned tentatively, willing the excitement in her voice to turn in to concern.

She watched his cheek muscles tighten.

"Eh, Itachi-kun," Shisui focused a bleary eye on his cousin. "You look like you need a drink. Loosen up a bi-."

"Shisui," Itachi bit out tersely, "Your pointless drivel has become exhausting." The words were followed by the grinding of teeth. "This night has caused an unforeseen annoyance, and I am feeling agitated, Haruno-san."

The table's conversation stopped.

_My god… _

_I did it!_ The medic-nin inside Sakura started doing cartwheels. She was pleased, no, no, she was more than pleased, she was a genius! She was going to _earn_ that apprenticeship!

"Itachi," said a now calmer Shisui, "You don't sound… uh, well." He looked plastered but the concern in his eyes was genuine. "Just keep quiet, stay there, and let your dear cousin get something to fix you."

Itachi, who looked like he was about to argue, abruptly snapped his mouth shut.

Shisui smiled, got up, took two steps, and fell into Naruto's lap.

"What the hell!" Naruto howled, scrambling to push the heavy ANBU off of him.

The other man was trying to grab purchase to pull himself upright but kept grabbing bits of Naruto instead.

"Get _off _of me you sick bastard!" The blonde's cheeks flamed when his hand landed somewhere it shouldn't.

"Hn, Naruto-kun," Shisui leveled himself vertical. "It was an accident. Promise," he vowed innocently, then proceeded to plant a sloppy kiss on the young man's cheek.

The disruptive scene caused Sakura to stop cataloging Itachi for a brief moment. Shisui merrily danced out of the way of Naruto's swinging fist and made a clumsy beeline for the bar.

Sai calmly excused himself to assist Shisui when the other man bumped into someone else's table and Ino's choking cackles caused her to worry about the blonde's respiratory health. What a handful…

She turned back to Itachi only to find him looking very troubled. The lines of his mouth were tensing as if he were trying to speak but couldn't, and the leanly cut muscles under the black spandex were flexing, his hands braced on the table as if to stand though he made no motion to get up. Weird. The serum shouldn't have an immobilizing effect on the target?

"Uchiha-san, can you- "

"Sakura," Ino squeaked out between her chuckles, interrupting the other chuunin, "I need to pee. Come with me to the ladies room."

Sakura's brow furrowed. "Go by yourself," she ground out. What were they, twelve? Seriously the woman had horrible timing.

Ino leaned over the table, her figure loose and relaxed, "I blame the drinks you sent over, now come on."

Some unknown instinct inside Sakura sat up at complete attention. Wha-? Beyond the excitement of her success and the curiosity of experimenting further, her senses were banging around in her head like festival drum. That's when she realized beside her that Itachi's thick, pulsing aura had become very, very still.

Ino's words replayed in her head. She froze, turning haltingly, incredulously, to find the ANBU captain assessing her with narrowed eyes.

_Abandon ship! _

"Damn it pig, come on!" _Shannaro. _The toxin-nin stood hastily, nearly tripping over her own two heels to reach Ino's side of the table. With that she hauled Ino's scantily clad form across the floor in the direction of the ladies room at the entrance. New priority. Bail while looking innocent.

She missed the very dangerous look following after her.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Thanks all for your patience – there will be more to come in the future. I would love to hear from my readers. I can't believe how many of you there are! You guys are great. Spring semester has started - I will update when I can. Cheers!


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** This is a fan-based adventure... I disclaim all rights for the characters of Naruto. Masashi Kishimoto is a genius and full recognition is to be paid to him.

**Author's Note**: This is a Non-Massacre AU (Alternate Universe).

****** Over a 100 reviews… O.O. My word I think I'll go melt in a puddle somewhere! I do apologize for the long wait. This is not just a romance, but a comedy too – for those that question the rating. M means M ::devious smile:: but my muse is rather fickle and has every intention of surprising us all with the timing on the tasty bits.

* * *

Chapter Four: The Culprit

* * *

oOo

The cold water felt like it was trailing in slow motion down her chin.

By the time she'd shoved Ino into the ladies room she had three practical plans of escape, two of which didn't require political immunity in the other countries.

"It's not fair Sai ended up being so dim in the head!" Ino's voice echoed inside the bathroom stall.

Sakura expelled a long breath, using one of her shaking arms to wipe away the water she'd splashed onto her face from the sink. "Could you not talk while you're doing that," she griped.

The toilet flushing covered the sound of Ino's retort and the blonde waltzed out with a bang, bumping the other chuunin away from the porcelain basin with a shove of her hips. "Why are all the hot ones dysfunctional anyway?"

Sakura rolled her eyes, her mind role-playing out the escape scenarios.

Option one was probably the safest choice – though the most distasteful. It involved casting a genjutsu on herself to erase the last twenty minutes from her memory and destroying the serum. No one could build a case against her with her memories cleaned out and there would be zero evidence left behind.

…Oh like hell she'd do that!

She'd worked too long and too hard to flush her elixir down the drain for the sake of some prissy Uchiha-heir.

But that left her with option two.

Ino finished up at the sink, looking at her out of the corner of her eyes. "Forehead, you don't look so hot."

Sakura caught her appearance in the mirror; she did look a bit panicky.

The field-medic leaned against the sink, giving her friend her full attention for the first time tonight. "Anything interesting happen?"

Sakura felt the vial in her skirt burn a figurative hole in her pocket. If she was going to utilize option two then she'd need Ino's help.

"I might have done something bad," she admitted, hesitantly pulling the glass tube out of its confines and presenting it to the other chuunin like a guilty child.

Ino's eyes bugged out of her head, her baby-blues bouncing dramatically between the familiar pink liquid to Sakura's mortified face. "You didn't?"

Sakura closed her fist over the serum, nodding her head slowly.

"HA!" Ino's sudden laugh pierced the small confines of the room, deafening everyone in a thirty foot radius. "Are you serious? Which one?"

Sakura gave a weary look towards the door. For God's sake, didn't the dim-wit grasp the seriousness of this situation?

"It was Shisui right? I thought he was going overboard tonight…"

Once Sakura was sure that no dark haired ANBU captain was going to come smashing down the bathroom door she shook her head negatively.

Ino mimicked the motion. "Naruto?"

Another shake.

Her tone turned doubtful. "Sai?"

A slower, more tentative shake.

It was almost funny to watch Ino's look become somewhat awe struck. "Itachi?"

Sakura nodded.

Ino walked up to her friend, slinging a slender arm over the toxin-nin shoulders. "You… are my hero," she stated proudly.

Sakura let out a shaky laugh, trying not to let the alarm in her head turn her knees to jelly. Why did acknowledging her offense to someone else suddenly make the danger feel more real than it did a moment ago?

"Well," Ino smirked, "to be honest I _was_ going to ditch you guys since sexy-Sai ended up being a sexy-prude, but now…" she grabbed a few handfuls of Sakura's vest, her tone scorching with curiosity, "we've got to go back and see what this stuff can _do_!"

Sakura dug her heels into the floor when Ino tried pulling her towards the swinging door.

"I think he knows Ino."

oOo

Itachi was bidding his time.

The Uzumaki had vacated his position moments ago, grumbling an almost inaudible excuse of sanitizing the places on his person his cousin had violated. This was fine by him, it left Itachi a moment to analyze his situation privately.

He was unable to remove himself from his seat or articulate sound but no further limitations seemed to be restricting him. Whatever substance had been pressed into his system did not hinder his chakra either; something he used to his advantage by surrounding his vital organs in a protective casing of energy.

He already had an idea as to what was going on but required Shisui's presence to test his theory.

Surprisingly, it had been the flirtatious blonde female that had solved the mystery of his offender for him.

The kunoichi accountable for this predicament crossed his mind's eye. Her ridiculously long pink hair, small physique and much too wide, innocent smile leered at him from his memories.

The Haruno female was Shisui's woman's apprentice; according to his cousin. Shizune held the lead position at Konoha's Toxin Division... Itachi was mildly irate with himself for not drawing this conclusion sooner.

His eyes cut to Shisui, who was being steadied by Sai on their way back.

"Here we are," Shisui slurred, taking over Sakura's seat, placing the new tray on the table and slipping into a comfortable heap on the table's surface. "You may say thank you."

"Thank you." A look of distaste crossed Itachi's features and he worked his jaw which was now more malleable than it had been a moment ago.

_So, my assumptions were correct._

Shisui raised a thick black eyebrow at his cousin. "Tachi… this isn't like you. Not that I don't appreciate it," he added offhandedly. He glanced at Sai who gave a blank response to the elder ANBU, and ran a tired hand through his thick curls. "Should I ask?"

"No." Was the curt and immediate response.

The flushed elite kicked back in his new seat, his face pulling into a childish sulk. "You look like you're planning something, you always get that 'look'," he swirled his pointer finger in Itachi's direction, "when you're planning something." He leaned over to grab Sai's gloved hand, which was in the midst of packing supplies. "So go do what'cha gotta do! Sai can keep me company tonight."

Itachi's eyes hooded and he gradually pushed himself to his feet, his muscles uncurling in one long predatory movement.

"N'Itachi," Shisui's head was cocked to one side as he made his chair balance precariously on two legs, "I just noticed this, but you're sharingan looks… weird."

Itachi felt a faint tremor race across his shoulders. _Did it? _ He grit his teeth to the point of pain to hinder the question from leaving his mouth. It would be in his best interest if he didn't stick around Shisui any longer.

Shisui shrugged when his cousin neglected to respond, "Don't stay out too late," he shouted as his kin's figure quickly disappeared into the crowd.

Various shinobi practically threw themselves out of the ANBU captain's way as he moved between the throngs of people. _Time to answer for your actions, little kunoichi. _

oOo

"Yamanaka," Sakura made a lunge for the troublesome female, "I gave you that serum so you could disappear with it for a while… not use it!"

Ino ducked out of the way, laughing with glee. "I just want one more shot at Sai."

"This isn't a joke." Sakura growled, blocking the exit with her petite body.

"Oh come on Sakura! You got to play with Itachi," she tried to make it sound like a whine but Sakura could tell the blonde was having fun at her expense.

"I mean it, pig. I am going to be in some _serious_ trouble here."

Ino raised an immaculately plucked eyebrow at her. "I think you're over reacting."

Sakura clenched her teeth, readying for another pounce.

The blonde tossed her hair, letting out a dejected sigh when her friend's look became hostile. "Alright, alright."

Tentatively, Sakura uncrouched from her defensive position by the door. "I want that thing unopened until I can come get it," she clarified.

Ino 'tsked', rolling her eyes.

Sakura leveled a menacing stare at her, "Promise me."

The other kunoichi airily waved her hands about at the demand, tucking the vial safely between the valley of her breasts.

The toxin-nin nodded. Good, it was time to go.

The exit stood no more than ten feet from the door at her back. Ino would head back to the table and feed the others a story about her needing to run an errand for Shizune while she would hightail it back to the lab and camp there for the next few days.

The success of her plan hinged on the assumption that Itachi would give up on any suspicions he had of her after the symptoms wore off. It was a small dosage, once he realized he'd be fine in a hour or two, no harm no foul.

Ino looked behind her. "Now?"

The buzzing noises coming under the door were steady, no hint of a disturbance.

"Yeah, go."

Ino breezed by her without further ado, the wind of her passing stirring the bangs at her temple. She hoped to god the medic kept her promise. Her future was in that vial.

Sakura's fingers flexed at her sides. It was now or never.

The heel of her nin-sandals caught the door as it tried to shut after Ino's departure, and an instant later she found herself weaving in and out of the late-night crowd, her eyes glued to the establishment's exit.

She could feel the night air on her skin, see the night sky welcoming her.

Only a handful of steps away from success, a hard grip on her elbow prevented her from going another step.

She spun around hoping to find Ino telling her good luck, to see Naruto preparing to grill her with questions as to why she was leaving…

But when had she ever been that lucky?

…

"Kunoichi, you will come with me."

The command was solid; the kind that brooked no argument.

Itachi loomed above her, his darkly appealing features so very daunting up close, and right now they were drawn into a look so formidable that Sakura realized she was in more danger than she could handle.

"Ano," She tried to keep the shaking in her voice to a minimum, passively allowing the ANBU captain to continue gripping her elbow. "Uchiha-san, can I ask you why you've detained me?" She could practically feel his chakra leaking out onto her arm. So much power…

A small line formed between his brows and she briefly wondered if playing it cool would only get her in to more trouble. "You are suspect in committing an offense."

Pressing her free hand to her chest, she tried for surprise. "Oh, that's a very serious allegation Uchiha-san." Her acting skills might need work.

Itachi was most definitely becoming angry. The lines under his eyes were becoming deeper.

"Come." His large hand started pulling her back into the small shadowed hallway leading to the restrooms.

She panicked. "Stop!"

He stilled, the muscles of his well-defined arms were straining and the hand gripping her slender limb seemed to spasm. "What did you do to me, kunoichi?" A vein started throbbing in the upper column of his neck.

Sakura blinked owlishly.

What in the world? Halfway turned from her, the Uchiha-heir seemed to be fighting himself, ... paused in a walking position?

The budding medic-nin inside her was furiously taking notes, cataloging the pulse rate coming through the hand holding her, monitoring the forced breathing beneath the black spandex-top and the stiffness of his lower body.

Half a heartbeat later the struggle ended and Itachi straightened in his inelegant stance, sending her a chilling look over his bare shoulders.

"L-let me go," she whispered. _Was it possible...?_

She could practically feel the swelling of his chakra fighting the ensuing reaction.

"Let me go," she stated more firmly. _An unforeseen effect of the serum?_

For a moment his grip became bruising, then muscle by muscle she felt the hand relinquish its hold.

_Oh my goodness..._

oOo

Itachi saw the moment the kunoichi understood his predicament flood across her small face.

Backing away a few feet from his person, her bright green eyes were sizing him up, though she avoided looking directly at his head. _Smart girl. _

His sharingan pulsed in time with his heart. He could feel his control slipping the longer he allowed this situation to continue. The poison was attaching itself to places it was hazardous to insert chakra into, and as a result the thick mental barriers containing his well trained emotions were becoming dangerously thin.

"Uchiha-san," the commanding tone in the Haruno girl's voice would have been amusing at any other time, "I don't know anything about this crime -" he blew out a disbelieving grunt out his nose, "- but I would appreciate it if you left me alone."

"You will take responsibility for this, kunoichi."

She cringed, and he sneered at her. Too transparent. She was not skilled in the art of hiding ones thoughts.

"I will find you." The promise was a dark one.

Resolve straightened her spine, and her mouth tightened at the corners. "I'm sorry, Uchiha-san, but I must be going."

Out of the corner of his eye, Itachi watched her back into the crowd towards the door. He let out a silent hiss of irritation, loosening his hold on other areas of his body to focus on his legs and feet. The wooden floor boards splintered around the edges of his foot-gear.

"Itachi-san, what are you doing?"

Itachi twisted his neck, giving a sharp look behind him only to find Sai bracing a passed-out Shisui on his shoulders.

A smirk tilted the corner of his mouth.

oOo

About two blocks from the establishment Sakura starting running. Her heart was hammering so loudly she thought she might pass out from the sheer force of it.

Too close!

Hiding wasn't an option, it was a necessity.

Her feet flew under her, and she took to the rooftops, the adrenaline in her system giving her strength.

How long had it been since she experienced this kind of high? Flying through the air, running from danger... If Uchiha Itachi wasn't so terrifying she might be enjoying the hell out of this right now.

After a quick stop by her apartment, and a good five minute run, she landed at the gates of Konoha's hospital.

Retying her messy pony tail and pulling the collar of her red vest away from her neck, she casually tossed her small knapsack over one shoulder and entered the lobby.

The night receptionist waved at her and she tentatively smiled back, practically slinking towards the stairs leading down into the lab.

Four days, then she'd venture out. Retrieve the serum from Ino then introduce Shizune to her ingenious little creation. So many surprising effects! She couldn't wait to show her senpai!

Pulling out the keys to the door she jiggled them happily.

Itachi would be fine, she was sure of it. She tossed her bag into an empty space near the interior and reached for the lights. An hour from now this would be all over like a bad… -

Someone clicked-on the lights for her.

… - dream.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Thanks all for your patience – I'm already a quarter of the way done with Chapter Five - fufufu. This should be one of the last short chapters. The adventure thickens... I've noticed reviews inspire me to type faster... go figure? Cheers!


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